Book Printing--Mixed Results, Mixed Future

"I see 2000 as a very good year," he says. "I'm really looking forward to the return of the Bible business; there are signs of advance-loading into the first and second quarter, considerably stronger than this year."

Banta is also bullish on the future. "We are well along the curve on digital technology—and we intend to invest heavily in new technology that better serves our customers' needs," Mead says. "We believe e-commerce and the Internet will be a strong supplement to traditional channels of distribution for book and catalog products, and will boost sales, rather than poach sales, in our niches. That has not, and will not be, the case in many reference areas of the book market where we are not a major player."